Posted on 05/14/2007 10:20:04 AM PDT by Between the Lines
The Lexington County seizure in January of 11 pounds of cocaine from illegal Mexican immigrants has led to the discovery of a fake Social Security card and identity theft operation, authorities say.
About 20 members and associates of a Lexington County Mexican family, many illegally in the United States, have been linked so far to the fake Social Security numbers operation, according to federal charges and testimony in federal court.
The case is believed to be the biggest S.C. investigation to combine drug smuggling, illegal immigrants from Mexico and fake identities, federal authorities said.
It also is an example of how easy it is to use fake and counterfeit Social Security cards and numbers in the United States and the Columbia area, said U.S. Attorney Reggie Lloyd, whose office is prosecuting the cases.
“If documents look authentic, employers take them and process them,” said Lloyd. He said new government technology being developed may make verification of Social Security numbers easier in the future.
The suspects are believed to have made more than $1 million with their cocaine profits and used some of the money to buy two Gaston-area properties, one a 1.5-acre tract, according to a federal indictment. Authorities have moved to seize the properties.
The investigation also involves illegal gun possession and an unspecified “financial investigation,” according to federal records and Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Todd Briggs, who testified in federal court last week.
S.C. DEA chief John Ozaluk said the investigation is ongoing. Most S.C. drug operations now have an illegal Mexican immigrant connection, he said, and illegal immigrants often use false names.
“You do a drug investigation, and to some extent, it’s an identity investigation, too,” Ozaluk said.
Indictments in the current case allege illegal immigrants used fake Social Security numbers and wage statements in a variety of ways. They got jobs at Rea Contracting and Amick Processing, a chicken packing plant in Saluda County near Batesburg-Leesville, one of the Midlands’ major employers. Amick’s has some 1,500 workers, many of whom are Hispanic.
The immigrants also used the numbers to sign up for power with S.C. Electric & Gas Co. (the power company uses the numbers to check credit), register with the S.C. Employment Security Commission, apply for leases and buy a Cadillac, according to charges in U.S. District Court.
A local Rea Construction official declined comment and referred questions to a Charlotte official, who was not available.
Amick Processing vice president of operations Fred West said, “We do not hire undocumented workers.”
But, West said, people using false identifications might slip through the verification process used by his and other companies. What is needed, he said, is a new federal comprehensive immigration law — combining border security, a guest worker program and better employee verification procedures.
A complaint in the case says illegal immigrants used counterfeit Social Security cards as well as “non-enumerated,” or as yet unassigned, Social Security numbers. The suspects also used numbers belonging to other people, a complaint said.
Earlier this year, Lloyd said, a lucky break led to the discovery of 17 other illegal immigrants, nearly all Mexicans, working at an Aiken-area tire manufacturing company. All were using fraudulent or stolen Social Security numbers or other fake identification.
The workers were discovered after an S.C. resident trying to file for benefits learned that she was ineligible because someone else was holding a job at an Aiken company using her Social Security number, Lloyd said. Thirteen illegal immigrant workers were deported. Four remain fugitives.
The Lexington County case began Jan. 17 in Gaston, federal authorities said. That morning, Gaston police Officer Brad Amick stopped a car driven by two illegal immigrants, brothers Fortino Bautista Teran and Fredy Bautista Teran, for alleged traffic violations.
Upon searching the car, a black Saturn, police found 11 pounds of cocaine in its trunk. Officers arrested both Terans, reportedly finding a gun on Fortino Teran.
Police then went to the Terans’ house, identified in court documents as 1375 Mack St. in Gaston.
There, they found another pistol and some cocaine, according to court documents.
Agents also found evidence at the house that led them to the discovery of numerous fraudulent Social Security numbers that had been used to get jobs and sign leases, a complaint said.
Besides having “non-enumerated Social Security cards,” seven alleged illegal immigrants in the case also had “counterfeit Resident Alien cards for financial, employment and identification purposes,” according to a complaint in the case.
The two Gaston properties in question are at 1375 Mack St. and 819 Meadowfield Road, according to documents.
Cocaine conspiracy charges have been filed against: Fortino Bautista Teran, Fredy Bautista Teran, Sotero Bautista Venancio and Maria Teran Espinoza.
Federal identity theft charges have been filed against: Teodulo Bautista, Maria Antonia Jaimes Bautista, Maria Estela Bautista Teran, Jose Maximino Bautista, Flor Jiminez Villaseca, Feliciano Teran Espinoza, Valdemar Bautista Teran and Emilio Bautista Teran.
A federal complaint in the identity theft case specifically links those charged in the cocaine conspiracy case to the identity case.
Evidence indicates the cocaine imported by the Mexicans was being sold in the non-Hispanic local community, Ozaluk said.
The current Lexington cocaine-identity fraud case involves investigators from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Social Security Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.
NO!
Can’t be.
Bush told me they just want to work hard and obey the law ... even though they’re ILLEGAL.
So Illegal Aliens are criminals.
Yeah ... but ... they pay their taxes. [/s]
This is in every community across America that has illegal aliens in it.
One crime begets another......but if we just give them amnesty everything will be hunky dory!
It is organized crime in the purest since.
There should be NO amnesty for those who break our laws.
Go home, apply, get a background check...then come on over.
Don’t arrest the illegals, arrest the people who employ them. Then the illegals will go home on their buck, not ours.
Don’t arrest the illegals, arrest the people who give them free welfare and food. Then the illegals will go home on their buck, not ours.
Ditto, education...credit....rent them homes...
Call your senators now regardless of where they stand. McCain is one of my senators and the least likely to vote against amnesty in any form. Being election time, he might at least read my fax *~*
I don't think a lot of Representatives and Senators are aware of the identity theft stuff that goes hand-in-hand with illegal immigration (they need an SSN to work). It would help to call Congress and inform them or ask them why they are ok giving a pass to people who steal identities.
Which is only part of the prob.... A lot of them can exist off the drugs they smuggle in. Why get a "job"?
Last year I had moved and let my DL expire so I had to go to the DMV office to get my DL renewed. As usual i had to stand in line for over an hour and the whole time I was there I watched at least 50 Hispanics in line in front of me get turned away because the Social Security Number they had did not match the date of birth that was shown on the birth certificate they had.
I could tell by the little Spanish I speak and their demeanor that they were ticked off because they had bought the Social Security Cards and the Birth Certificates and didn't know that the DOT had a computer that could pull up the date of birth associated with the Social Security Number.
But what really ticked me off is that there were State Troopers all over the place and in my mind they should have been arresting them for presenting false documents to obtain a driver's license and suspicion of Identity Theft, and that doesn't even include being in the country Illegally.
Yep, I just can’t wait to get my social security statement before my birthday this year to see if I made more money off of whoever stole my wallet last year.
I had to jump through hoops with Social Security to get a new card - wouldn’t change my # though, then contact all 3 credit bureaus just in case. Then had to go get a new driver license - again, no new # though.
If an amnesty passes, I would love to know how much it will (collectively) cost all the victims who have to clear their identity. If it could be determined, it will take decades to figure out because children won't know until they are old enough to apply for loans, grants, scholarships, or financial aid.
FWIW, I know of a site that lets you check your SSN (of family's SSNs) for $5 a number. FReepmail me, and I can give you a link (I'm not affiliated with the company, but don't think it appropriate to 'advertise' for them on FR).
wow, that was scary to read.
I remember a story of a mob hitman they could never charge with murder. Then it turned out you could get 20 years for forging government documents, like the fake IDs he used and he went to prison.
If we got Capone for tax evasion, I’m comfortable “only” getting people who help illegals enter the country on document charges.
I don’t believe ID theft enforcement is an ‘unfunded mandate’. Whether it is a citizen or an illegal immigrant perpetuating it should not matter, ID theft falls right in line with local LE’s mission, IMO.
Can anyone tell me what these illegal aliens do right? The stories get worse and worse as the days progress. Is their society so corrupt they have no moral compass?
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